Bicycle



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(NoModeL) O. S. PAGE. 4

BICYCLE.

Patented May 2, 1893.

(No Model.)

v zsneets-shat Ur S. PAGE,

BICYCLE.

Patented May 2, 1893.

UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

CALVIN S. PAGE, OF PONTIAC, ILLINOIS.

BICYCLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 496,616, dated May 2,1893. Application filed October 19, 1892. Serial No. 449,367. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CALVIN S. PAGE, of Pontiac, in the county ofLivingston and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Bicycles; and I do hereby declare that the following isa full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of referencemarked thereon,which form part of this specification.

This invention is an improvement in bicycles, and its objects are,first, to provide an improved drive, by which the machine can bepropelled through the medium of oscillating or vibrating pedals; second,to have one pedal raise during the depression of the opposite pedalwithout the employment of lifting springs; third, to improve theconstruction of the frame; fourth, to provide improved anti-frictionbearings for the drive-wheel on its axle.

The invention therefore consists, first, in

the novel construction of the propelling gear,

specifically described, reference being had to the accompanying drawingsby figures and by letters of reference marked thereon to designate partsreferred to by such figures and letters in the description.

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the complete bicycle, of thesafety type, embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is an enlarged View ofthe driving wheel, hub and axle, with the outer shell removed. Fig. 3 1sa longitudinal vertical sectional view on line 33 Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is adetail sectional view of the ratchet mechanism detached. Fig. 5 is adetail View of a part of such mechanism. Fig. 6 is a detail.

The frame.-The frame of the machine is roughly diamond shaped. Its rearmembers A, A, are bifurcated to straddle the rear or driving wheel Y,and are rigidly connected at their rear ends to the axle, and to eachother. The front members A A are connected at their rear ends to thefront ends of members A, A, respectively, and at their front ends to therearwardly inclined sleeve A through which passes the steering rod A thelower end of which is bifurcated and is connected to the axle of thefront wheel Z. A handle bar is secured to the top of this steering rodas shown. A is a combined mud-guard and brace,.connected at its ends tothe points of junction of members A, A and. A, A respectively. Theseveral members of the frame are preferably made tubular, and welded.together at their junctions. Ordinary mudguards are attached to theframe as indicated, and the wheels may be of any desired construction.The saddle bar a is connected to the upper end of member A, and itsupper end a is'bent horizontally backward. The saddle is clipped ontothis portion a, in any suitable manner.

The drt'oe'mechanism.The rear axle O, on

which wheel Y is mounted, is stationary, and

its ends are secured to the bifurcations of member A of the frame in anysuitable manner. To the center of this axle is rigidly secured atransverse shaft D,.projecting equally on each side of the axle, andhaving a central cylindrical enlargement or boss d through which theaxle passes. The ends of this boss are concaved at the meeting edges oftheir sides and face as shown at (1. Upon axle C at each side of bossdare placed sleeves E, E Whose bore is of greater diameter than the axlearound which they revolve freely. The inner ends of said sleeves areabout equal in diameter to boss d and are concaved as shown at eoppositegrooves d and a series of antifriction balls 2, 2, are confined in andbetween the concaved ends 01', e, of the boss and sleeve as shown inFig. 3. Ooncaved rings 6 are fitted in annular recesses e in the outerends of the sleeves, and a series of anti-friction balls 3, 3, areconfined between said rings and concaved faced nuts e screwed on thethreaded ends of the axle as shown. By this means the sleeves E, E aresupported on but out of contact with the axle by anti-frictional ballbearings. On the outer ends of sleeves E, E are formed or secured smallband pulleys F, F hereinafter referred to. On-the inner ends of thesleeves E, E respectively are rigidly secured bevel gears G, G whichintermesh with similar bevel gears g, g journaled on the opposite endsof shaft D so that when sleeve E turns in one direction sleeve E mustrevolve in the contrary direction, and vice versa. Gears 9, g areconfined to the shaft G by means of nuts 9 provided with suitablewashers and nut-looks g 01' other suitable meansemployed to retain thegears on said shaft. H, H designate the hub end plates each beingannular and fitted loosely on said sleeves E, Erespectively, to theinside of pulleys F, F. The plates are supported on the sleeves by meansof the annularly concaved bearing rings h, and f, the latter beingfitted around the sleeves against the inner face of pulleys F, F, andthe former being fitted into the central openings of plates H, G, aseries of anti-frictional balls 4, 4, being confined between the ringsas shown. Each ring h is provided with a flange h by which it is kept inposition within the hub plates. Screws f are tapped through the webs ofpulleys F, F and bearagainst the rings f and by means of these screwsthe latter rings can be adjusted in relation to rings h, so as toequalize the pressure on balls 4, 4. The plates H, H are connected attheir peripheries to a cylindrical hub shell H in any suitable manner,said shell and plates forming a hollow hub and inclosing and protectingthe working parts and ball bearings from dust and grit. It is alsoprovided with circumferential flanges H to which the spokes may beconnected in any manner desired. Four or more or less slots H are formedin plates H, H and in these slots are placed dogs or pawls I, 1 shownmore clearly in Fig. 4. These dogs are about as wide as the plates arethick, but each has an outwardly projecting tooth i on its outer edgenear one end,- and its other end is recessed as at 7; to fit acorresponding projection or tooth H at the rear end of the slot in whichit is confined. The slots are made of such size that when the pawls areinserted therein the toothed ends of the pawls can be swung back andforth or rocked on teeth H while the other end is retained in the slot.The corner of pawl I opposite tooth 't' is recessed as at i to enablethe pawls to be easily slipped in place. When the pawls are swungoutward they respectively engage with ratchet faced rings J, J securedto or formed on the inner faces of pulleys F, F, as indicated in Fig. 3.The pawls are prevented from swinging so far inward as to drop fromslots H by means of annular disks K, K located to the inside of andopposite plates H, H respectively. These disks are supported on gears G,G respectively by means of pins It, It, which rest loosely in holes G2in the outer faces of said gears as shown in Fig. 3. The disks howeverare permitted a slight amount of lateral movement toward and from platesH, H and when moved toward said plates will rock the pawls and causethem to engage their ratchets. To the inner face of disk K and near itsperiphery are attached arms which extend parallel with the axle acrossnearly to disk K, said rods being of such length that when one disk ismoved inward,-the other disk will be through the agency of said arms orrods, forced outward, so that if either disk be fully shifted so as toallow the pawls in the adjoining plate to disengage their ratchet, thepawls of the opposite plate will be forced into engagement with theirratchet. Preferably the free ends of rods 70 are provided with frictionvrubbers or rollers k Openings or recesses K are made in disk K at thesame relative points as rods k on disk K, there being one opening foreach disk. The ends of said openings are beveled as shown in Fig. 7 sothat the rods will ordinarily move therepast without catching therein.The object of such openings will be explained hereinafter. The pedallevers L, L as shown are oscillating levers and are fulcrumed on studs aattached to the bifurcations of the lower member A of the frame in frontof the axle, as shown. The rear ends Z of said levers are bent inwardlyso as to pass between the bifurcations of member A of the frame, and thewheel. To the end Zof each lever is attached one end of a chain or bandZ which is wrapped around and its other end secured to the pulley F or Fadjoining the lever. Ends Z may be perforated as at Z to enable bands Zto be adj ustably connected thereto. The front ends of said levers arecurved as desired so as to bring the pedals attached thereto near therear wheel and out of the Way of front wheel. A designate rods connectedat their upper ends to the frame near the seat, and at their lower endsto the studs (1 so as to partly relieve the latter and member A ofstrain.

Operation: Upon the depression of either pedal the pulley to which it isconnected is rotated in a forward direction. SupposingF to be thusrotated, sleeve E is similarly rotated, but sleeve E is rotated in abackward direction thereby raising lever L, and at the same time, pawlsI riding up on the'teeth of ratchet J are rocked inward, thereby forcingdisk K away from plate H, and the inward movement of disk K through rodsit, forces disk K toward plate H, and thereby force pawlsI to engagethe. ratchet J, and thus motion is imparted to the wheel in a forwarddirection. Upon the depression of lever L the movement of all the partsis exactly reversed except that pawls I now engage ratchet J and impartforward movement to the wheel. If the levers L, L be stopped when thepedals are in line, it will bring rods k opposite the openings 70 androllers 70 will slip into reoesses K as indicated in Fig. 7,consequently both sets of pawls I, I can slip over their ratchets andthe working parts remain at rest, the wheel revolving freely-on the ballbearings 4, 4. The pedals can then be used as rests for the feet.

sleeves, substantially as described.

Having described my invention, what I 1 claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent thereon, is .7 v

1. The combination of the axle, the transverse shaft attached centrallythereto, the sleeves on said axle at opposite sides of said shaft, thegears on the inner ends of said sleeves, gears on the opposite ends ofsaid. shaft meshing with the gears on the sleeve, the hub end platesloosely mounted on said sleeve, the pawls mounted on said plates, theannular ratchets mounted on the sleeves, and the levers and connectionsfor rotating said sleeves, and means substantially as described forautomatically throwing a set of pawls into engagement with thecorresponding ratchet when the adjoining lever is depressed,substantially as specified.

2. The combination of the axle, a shaft fixed transversely theretohaving a central enlargement, a gear on said shaft and the sleeves onsaid axle at opposite sides of said enlargement, the nuts confining saidsleeves on the axle, and the ball bearings between the inner ends ofsaid sleeves and the enlargement, and the outer ends of said sleeves andthe nuts and gears on the inner ends of said sleeves meshing with thegears onthe shaft, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. 7

3. The combination of the axle, the transverse shaft connected thereto,the sleeves revolubly mounted on said axle at opposite sides of theshaft, the gears on the ends of said shaft meshing with the gears on thesleeves, and the hub plates revolubly mounted on said 4. The combinationof the axle, the shaft fixed transversely thereto having a centralenlargement, and the sleeves on said axle at opposite sides ofsaid-enlargement, the gears on the inner ends of said sleeves and a gearon said shaft meshing therewith, the nuts confining said sleeves on theaxle, and the ball bearings between the inner ends of said sleeves andthe enlargement, and theouter ends of said sleeves and the nuts, and thehub end plates revolubly mounted on the sleeves, and the pawls andratchets for locking said plates to the sleeves and mechanism forrevolving said sleeves, substantially as described.

5. The combination of the axle, the transverse shaft connected thereto,the sleeves rev-' olubly mounted on said axle at opposite sides of theshaft, the gears on the ends of said sleeves, the gears on the ends ofsaid shaft meshing with the gears on the sleeves, and the hub platesrevolubly mounted on said sleeves, and ball bearing substantially asdescribed between said sleeves and axle, and between said hub plates andsleeves, substantially as specified.

' 6. The combination of the axle, the transverse shaft connectedthereto, the sleeves revolubly mounted on said axle at opposite sides ofthe shaft, the gears on the ends of said sleeves, the gears on the endsof said shaft meshing with the gears on the sleeves, and the hub platesrevolubly mounted on'said sleeves; with the levers and connections forrotating said sleeves, and the pawls and ratchets for locking saidplates to said sleeves, substantiallyas andfor the purpose described.

7. The combination-of the axle, the revoluble sleeves mounted thereon,gearing for transmitting motion from one sleeve to the other in oppositedirections, the hub plates revolubly mounted on said sleeves and theratchets and pawls for transmitting motion from the sleeves to the hubplates, with the disks attached to said sleeves and laterally movable,and means for causing said disks to move simultaneously int-he samedirection whereby the pawls of one hub-plate will be automaticallythrown into engagement with its ratchet when the pawls of the oppositeplate disengage their ratchet, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

8. The combination of the axle, the transverse shaft con'nected thereto,the sleeves revolubly mounted on said axle, at opposite sides of theshaft, the gears on the ends of said sleeves, the gears on the ends ofsaid shaft meshing with the gears on the sleeves, and the hub platesrevolubly mounted on said ratchets connected to said sleeves exterior tosaid plates, and the laterally movable disks K", K and theirconnections, substantially as described.

9. The combination of the axle, the revoluble sleeves on oppositesidesthereof, the gearing between said sleeves, and the ratchetsattached thereto; with the wheel hub consisting of the cylindricalbarrel having spoke attaching flanges, and annular end plates or headsrevolubly mounted on said sleeves, and the pawls attached to said platesadapted to engage the ratchets, substantially asand for the purposespecified.

10. The combination of the axle, the sleeves, on opposite ends thereof,the pulleys on the outer ends of said sleeves, and bevel gears on theinner ends thereof, and an intermediate gear meshing with the gears onboth sleeves, with the pedal levers connected to said pulleys, whereby,upon the depression of one lever the other is automatically raised,substantially as and for the purpose set forth. 7

11. The combination with the axle, the opposite sleeves thereon, thegearing between said sleeves, the hub plates loosely mounted on saidsleeves, and the ratchet and pawls for transmitting motion from thesleeves to the hub plates; with the laterally movable disk K havingopenings K and the opposite similar disk K and arms and the levers andconnections for rotating said sleeves, all constructed substantially asdescribed so that the power of the levers is alternately communicated tothe hub plates and yet the pawls be disengaged when the levers arestopped on sleeves, the pawls attached to said plates, the a J a level,substantielly as and for the purpose In testimony that I claim theforegoing as described. my ownI affix my signature in presence of two [0i 12. The combination with the revoluble witnesses. ratehets J, J andthe revoluble hub plates H, CALVIN 8 PAGE H: of the pawls I, I mountedin openings in said plates and the disks K, K and rods 70 Witnesses:

for shifting said pawlsyall substantially as R. H. HOL'PZMAN, and forthe purpose described. M. H. LUKE.

